springs741

not sure when you were not allowed to bring bottles of water or soda anymore onboard. was that after 2105?

The rule changed July 9, 2015.

No bottles plastic or glass

The exception is the one bottle of wine 750 ml that you can bring on at embarkation.

No--You must compare exactly the same type stateroom.

I did not know the new procedure had been implemented on the Dream. Will someone please confirm?

 

Many thanks.

 

B

I can confirm. My daughter boarded the Dream on Sunday. I talked to her while she was unpacking. S&S cards were at the mailbox.

Breeze December 2017 new menu

Valor May 2018 old menu

Freedom May 2018 old menu

Dream June 2018 old menu

Verified either by actual experience or by a family member.

I don't know where you are getting your info but it is not a good source.

The simplest way to control teen spending is to put a limit on their S&S card. I have done this several times with my grandson. When he was younger I split his funds over several days to help him learn about budgeting. Now that he I older I give him X amount for the cruise. When it I gone it is gone. It take all of three minutes at guest services.

If you opt to allow them their own account funded by cash, Carnival recommends starting with $100. Any overage will be returned in the same form it was paid.

The steakhouse menus are in a change over time. Horizon, Vista, all the Dream class ships have the new menu. I think a couple of other ships also have the new menu but those that have actually experienced it would need to post. The changeover was originally scheduled to be complete by March of this year but it seems to have stalled.

Food is very subjective but my favorites:

Old menu--Crab Cake, Spinach Salad, Lobster Ravioli and Chocolate Sampler.

...none of these are on the new menu. The spinach salad is listed but is changed.

New menu--Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Baby Leaf Spinach Salad, Fillet Migon or Surf and Turf, Apple Tarte Tatin with vanilla rather than Elderberry ice cream.

I did not feel the Grilled U-10 Shrimp were worth the money. The serving consisted of 4 shrimp. I am a shrimp girl and trust me they were not U-10. They were at best 16-20's.

The fruit makes a refreshing end to a meal. While I am not a big fan of frozen desserts the steakhouse does often have some very tempting varieties.

Enjoy your Steakhouse visit It is always a lovely dining experience.

Priority

It is completely dependent upon your embarkation port. Having it in your boarding documents doesn't seem to matter either.

As recently as Saturday (4/21/18) I had a friend board the Valor. It was not included in her documents. She was provided a paper copy to complete at check in.

It was verbal on the iPad in January in Miami but included in my boarding docs when I printed.

I guess we will need to be flexible.

From Carnivals FAQ:

• Food Items must be pre-packaged and unopened; homemade items or pre-cooked foods will not be permitted onboard. Limitations on permitted food items are directly related to concerns for food safety and contamination prevention. We are unable to provide food preparation, refrigeration or storage for personal food or beverage items.
  

Two points I would like to make. First not all screeners are familiar with Carnival rules. So there is a possibility of you being denied carrying your limes on board. There really isn't much you can do to argue your point since I can't find, in writing, specifics on fresh fruit. The second point you will NOT be able to take any limes off the ship. There is no way to prove their country of origin. Fines can be hefty upon return to the US.

You can ask at the bars for limes. Depending on the bartender you might get a few or you might get a cup full.

Many items are repeated but not all. Some foods are just not made to sit on a buffet. Some shouldn't but do....

X-rays work just fine on vacuum packed items. Therefore Carnival will be fine with you using them.

One week is about all the extension I have heard given. Call, the sooner the better, and then ask for the extension confirmed via email. Protect your investment.

The change went into effect on January 16, 2018. I personally don't have a problem with paying for some items. What I miss most is my pot of coffee on debark day. I get up early enjoy some coffee as I dress and pack up the last few items. Here is the last night menu for those that requested.

One of the first thing I mention to anyone planning to cruise is to get your baby accustom to taking a shower. My grand daughter was fine with a shower at 6 months. Daddy would step in the shower with his swim trunks and hold her in his arms. Mom would soap her up, rinse and then take her out to dry while dad showered himself. She "showered" like this until she could stand safely in the shower. She is now 6 years old and still prefers a shower.

Regarding the tubs/ inflatable swimming pools for on deck use---- They blow overboard easily, there is limited space for them and are deemed a tripping hazard, there isn't a place to empty them especially if they contain a "diaper leak'

And before anyone comments about adults staying in the pool for hours and likely urinating in the pool and the child not being allowed in with a swim diaper. Solid waste and urine are on opposite ends of the bacterium scale.

Legal Liabilities will work against you. While there is some shifting in ages within the groups they were very firm with the 2 year minimum.

Fall Ultras traditionally come out the last week of May. At least that has been my experience for the last 3 years.

Luggage Express went away in May of 2016. It was right before my cruise. I booked a late flight planning to use the service. When I went to sign up it was gone. :(

you need to use the different lines because of where your cards are located.

On most ships the cards are now left in your mailbox of your cabin when the stateroom is ready. This is rolling out fleet wide.

Check the deck plans. Avoid any stateroom under the Galley. You have no reliable way of knowing how much noise might come from above. You should be good anything forward of the midship elevators.

Only Carnival know why and they might not be telling. Just my thought, since other ships are porting in Columbia and the sailing in question is so far in the future, they may have changed the port to decrease the cost. Porting in Columbia is likely more expensive than in Carnivals own port in Honduras. And since it is a closed loop cruise they don't need a distant foreign port.

Once you have booked a cruise, how often do you check for price drops? I am tempted to check each morning and each evening.:p We have been lucky on most of our past cruises to get some amount of OBC due to price drops. If the price does drop, how long on average would the lower price be available? Thanks for your input :)

How often I check depends on how close the price is to what I paid. If all it has done is increased I don't check as often. If it has started a downward trend I check more often. If it is anywhere near my price point I check at least twice a day. My experience has been the price drop can last as short as a few hours.

I have a dilemma. I have $50 OBC due to a price drop. There is now another drop of $42 but I lose the $50 OBC. What would you do?

I don't understand why you would lose the $50 OBC from a price drop?

If it was part of the booking promotion, yes. (you price matched to an offer that had $50 as part of the promotion)

But I agree, why trade $42 or $50?

As other have already said it isn't a good idea to pack anything of value. There is lost luggage, crushed luggage and the luggage into the drink. You could be lucky like me and be recipient of a soft drink shower. Some guest just had to pack soft drinks in their luggage. I spent the first night of my cruise doing laundry. Carnival offered and I did send some items out but had other things I just didn't trust to go through commercial laundry.

Your TA or PVP can find you staterooms that the divider will open. Not all do. And as Essiesmom said they will not open the divider if it will block the balcony door from opening.

Normally I would say Sunday for sure but that is Easter.

I don't know if that would effect cruise elegant night. I know last Thanksgiving which should have been our second cruise elegant night it was moved to the next day. We had a special Thanksgiving meal.

As to when the second cruise elegant night will be you will need to hear from some one that has recently sailed the conquest.